Still Life with Three Puppies

Still Life with Three Puppies by Paul Gauguin is an oil on wood painting created in 1888. This important work exemplifies the French artist’s complex transition away from Impressionism toward a more synthetic and symbolic use of color and form. Although classified as a still life, the piece integrates animal subject matter, focusing intimately on three young puppies resting on a patterned surface. The inclusion of living subjects within a domestic setting demonstrates Gauguin’s ability to imbue everyday scenes with visual tension and decorative complexity.

Dating from a pivotal year in the artist’s development, the 1888 painting showcases techniques that would define Post-Impressionism. Gauguin utilizes bold, flattened areas of color and heavy outlines, a method often associated with Cloisonnism he developed with Émile Bernard. The rich textures of the backdrop and the simplified rendering of the animals contrast sharply with the naturalistic treatments favored by his contemporaries. The choice of the wood panel medium contributes to the density of the applied paint and the painting’s overall visual weight, lending a robustness to the composition.

This work provides crucial context for understanding Gauguin’s stylistic evolution before his extensive travels to the South Pacific. While his later works became dominated by figures from non-Western cultures, this piece anchors his connection to genre painting and domestic scenes popular in French culture during the late 19th century. The charm and immediate appeal of the subject matter have ensured its enduring popularity; high-quality prints of the artwork often circulate widely, available through public domain collections. This seminal piece, capturing the dynamic experimentation of the period, is held within the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.